Disaster Resilience, Relief and Recovery News
On March 11th a levee breach on the Pajaro River in Monterey County resulted in the evacuation and flooding of the community of Pajaro – a predominately Latino farmworker community. As funders in the Bay Area, it is vital to mobilize resources where climate disasters continue to disproportionately impact those most marginalized in the region.
California is experiencing a series of repeated atmospheric river events that are leading to flooding, power outages, and mudslides across much of the state. Unfortunately, we know that these storms are only the latest in a chain of climate change-fueled disasters. Philanthropy California, an alliance of Northern California Grantmakers, SoCal Grantmakers, Catalyst of San Diego & Imperial Counties, has activated the 2023 disaster response website.
On December 20, 2022 a 6.4 magnitude earthquake hit rural Humboldt County in the early morning, followed by over 60 substantial aftershocks. The small towns and Tribal communities hit the worst have left community members without housing, power, and/or water. NCG invites our member community to show up for this trusted fund as it serves the most vulnerable in our community who remain impacted by this disaster.
Navigating the threat of wildfire is an ongoing reality of life in Sonoma County. From 2017 to 2020, fires burned more than 300,000 acres across the county, resulting in devastating losses to ecosystems, homes, communities, and human lives. Recent years of extreme wildfire events have transformed the land and shifted the priorities of the public, management agencies, and local governing bodies around the essential need for fire adaptation and mitigation.
We all have felt the impact of heat waves this summer, but the costs and stakes are different across communities and neighborhoods in California. While temperatures rise in California, so do extreme heat illnesses and heat mortality. Those most impacted are unlikely to live in cooler coastal communities, or have access to air-conditioned homes.
Climate change is here to stay. Although what’s needed seems endless as the impacts will worsen in the coming years, I am hopeful. Since joining the sector four years ago, I have seen an increasing number of funders exploring new ways to address climate change.
There will be tremendous opportunities for philanthropy to ensure investments are targeted in our most vulnerable communities at risk of climate-driven events. NCG's Alan Kwok provides an analysis of what the package will bring and what role philanthropy can play.
As we find ourselves in the midst of yet another devastating wildfire season, I want to share the importance of the little-known or often misunderstood community-based network known as the VOAD – Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters. A VOAD, as the names implies, is a voluntary network of nonprofits, faith-based organizations, and government entities that support efficient disaster relief and recovery efforts. Organizations and entities join their local VOAD network at their own volition and on their own dime. They join a VOAD because they understand that coming together is better than going it alone when a disaster strikes.
As fire season sets in, the stream of well-meaning articles entering our news feed is on the rise. They’re intended to help us make sense of and respond to the threat of wildfire and smoke. What worries me though, is what’s missing from these pithy, otherwise attractive reads. Here's a quick list of questions to ask yourself as you sift through the news, regardless of the outlet. As a soft optimist with a sharp point of view, I’d like to equip you to dig behind the reporting to find out not just what’s going on, but why it’s happening, how people are affected differently based on the risks they face, and what we can do about it.
No longer can we deny the effects of climate change. Extreme heat events, sea level rise, droughts, and wildfires are affecting the health and livelihoods of communities across the state and around the world. With an increasing number of donors making commitments to fund climate action and funders looking for climate mitigation and adaptation efforts to support, we offer our experiences funding and participating in climate movements.